With a win on Sunday vs. Toronto, the 76ers are now 40-35 this season. The team has been struggling without reigning MVP Joel Embiid. Philadelphia is eighth in the Eastern Conference with seven games left in the regular season. For the last 29 games, Embiid has been out with a left meniscus injury.
However, NBA insiders Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski have reported that Joel Embiid is nearing his return for the Sixers. Charania noted that he could return as soon as Tuesday night vs. the Thunder. Getting their All-NBA center back in the starting lineup would be massive for the Sixers. Without Embiid this season, the team is 13-27.
Joel Embiid will make his return this week for the Philadelphia 76ers
ESPN Sources: Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid is nearing a return and expected to play this week. The reigning MVP has been out since January 30 with a left meniscus injury. His status for Tuesday vs. OKC is expected later today. pic.twitter.com/Rn4mb6Qizv
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) April 1, 2024
In total, Joel Embiid has missed 41 of the Sixers’ 75 games played this season. The 2022-23 league MVP has played in 34 games this season and hasn’t been in a game since 1/30. Embiid is averaging (35.3) points, (11.3) rebounds, (5.7) assists, (1.1) steals, and (1.8) blocks per game. It’s been hard for the Sixers to replicate that type of production. That is why the team is 13-27 without the seven-time all-star in 2024-24. Luckily, Embiid is on the verge of returning.
On the day Embiid was injured, the Sixers were fifth in the East. Since then, the team has slowly fallen in the standings. With seven games left, the Sixers are eighth in the Eastern Conference. Miami has a one-and-a-half-game lead at 7th in the East. At this point in the year, it looks like the 76ers will be in the play-in tournament. Can Joel Embiid trigger an improbable run for the Sixers after missing the last two months with a knee injury?
76ers star Joel Embiid is nearing comeback as soon as Tuesday’s home game vs. OKC Thunder, sources tell @TheAthletic @Stadium. The reigning NBA MVP has positively completed multiple five-on-five scrimmage sessions in recent days. pic.twitter.com/IUGW23995l
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 1, 2024
When Joel Embiid was healthy, the 76ers looked like a top contender in the East. Without him, they were average at best. The 30-year-old big man is crucial to the team’s success this season. If the Sixers want to make a run in the postseason, they need Embbid to be 100 percent healthy. That’s been his biggest flaw over the last several playoff appearances for the Sixers. Philadelphia plays well but Embiid is never healthy in the biggest moments. Sixers fans are hoping to avoid that same type of outcome in the 2024 playoffs this month.
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